Who let the cows out? Moo, moo, moo moo! Will Pip be caught out, and will Matt or Justin bowl a maiden over? Discuss The Archers here

[PseudoBadger]

'Ello pusscat!
I am eagerly anticipating Pip's downfall.

Matt is nothing like Knob - with Matt what you see is what you get. Agree he was hamming up the Guy Ritchie villain accent last night - he needs to tone it down a notch. I actually think he has more in common with Justin - just less posh. Lillian does like men with plenty of cash so she will only get back with Matt if he's really made his fortune in Costa Rica.
i'm really hoping Ed spills the beans rather than waiting for Pip to confess - especially after David beating himself up last night. The Brookfield cows have only infected the rest of the village because Pip let them escape. Without that he'd just be facing a bill for vaccinating the Brookfield herd. I agree with whoever said earlier it really is a lesson in the benefits of owning up straightaway - I think Pip has really past the point of no return now.

passed

When I'm 70 I don't want to have to prostitute myself to one of 2 men because one of them ruined me financially in the first place"

Nah ... Prostitution is work - surely? Or slavery. (Using words loosely for the sake of discussing fiction on the radio ...) Lilian does everything by choice, for enjoyment. Not the same thing at all.

Yes Esmes! Would it be too much to hope that the new Editor, even now, has Kate's SA children packing their bags and boarding a flight to somewhere near Ambridge?

If he could just bring back Brenda, in the fullness of time, my cup would run over.

I loved Matt mentioning Kate's South African children - he is us! Everyone else (including Kate) seems to have forgotten them entirely. I can sort of see how some characters can fall off the radar - even with Ruari, he might be packed off to boarding school and never heard when he comes home in the holidays, but at least we know he's there. Brian sees him - even if we don't hear him seeing him.

I don't think going into prostitution is a true choice for anyone - there'll always be some element of need/coercion. Lillian is relatively broke - what exactly does she see in septegunarian (sp?) millionaire Justin?

I hope Kate's children aren't shipped over here - their true home and family is in SA - why would they want to be dumped on their errant mother thousands of miles from home?

I don't think they should move to Ambridge, but Kate could go and see them occasionally.

If I am in Lillians position at 70, I will think I had made some terrible choices. I would hate it if my character was affected by the man I was with, Lillian when with Matt gets dragged into very unsavoury, criminal activities and it feels to me seems to condone them. Matt has bullied and victimised an elderly couple and hired someone to violently assault his brother.

Well the next character who I want back is Bethany! That could provide a massive number of storylines.

It is interesting to compare the two sisters. Jenny is surrounded by her children (not all of them Brian's and one of them not even hers) and grandchildren - her choice has been to stay with a serial philanderer who has funded a grand lifestyle. Lilian is not so very different in a way - she has always followed the money, but without the matriarchal role - I sometimes forget she has a son and grandchild, they are certainly not so central to her life as Jenny's family are to hers. I think it's that absence of family (in the sense of children) that makes her appear more vulnerable - although of course she is not short of extended family - Peggy's concern for her is still quite touching. I will be interested to hear Peggy's take on Matt's return particularly after Justin's recent charm offensive. I think Lillian really loved Matt, I don't believe she loves Justin. I agree Matt's behaviour which led to his departure would be pretty hard to overlook - not to mention all the Russian mafia nonsense going on behind the scenes on Amex. But if you take that into account then you also have to throw Lilian's affair with Paul into the mix - it was a fairly ludicrous time all round.

Lillian made a choice - she may have been broke but Jennifer was supporting her and she had the house rent once Justin moved in.

And what does she see in old man Justin - well he is the same age as her so I'm not sure it's a Debbie McGee point

Absolutely Boop - it would be weird if the septugenarian Lillian wanted to hang out with a significantly younger bloke - especially after her experience with that charmer who shagged Brendur and then snarled that he only enjoyed Lillian's money, not her body.

And really, give me strength - prostitution???!!! Have those people suggesting this is Lillian's situation ever been a prostitute? or even met a prostitute, of either sex? I'm sorry, this really smacks of the crudest type of seventies-marriage-is-just-legalised-prostitution feminism out. In which case, Jenny is also a prostitute. A really big one.

I too hope Ed will be the conduit for David and Ruth's enlightenment. Can't come soon enough, but still reckon it will hang on until the Easter weekend.

Lillian has never been 'broke' as most people would define it. She's always had the Dower House and the Amside business. She's a woman with a healthy sexual appetite who likes company. To describe her relationship with Justin as 'prostitution' is really not nice and certainly not true.

Does Lillian still own the pub too?

I think if Vanessa Whitburn had stayed on as editor we'd have heard a lot more about Bethany. The decision to have Vicky, Mike and Bethany leave Ambridge happened under SOC, didn't it? It struck me as preposterous (still does). I imagine SOC just wasn't very interested in that SL and wanted the airtime for more of Rob and Helen.

Quick skim read to catch up on lots … thank you for the new thread and fab title!

We never did find out who moved into their house did we?

Yes Perspicacia, she does still part-own the pub - which is why Toby's been including her in the gin talk.

Brilliant thread title Pseudo.

I veer between liking Matt (or sympathising with him, which isn't quite the same thing) and finding him repellent. The story line where he tried to force the elderly couple out of their flat was particularly nasty.

I also miss the Tuckers, particularly Hayley. Maybe she could move back next door to the Tuckers in her newly married guise. Or is she newly re-married? Have I got that wrong?

How can anyone like Matt?????

I like the things that are good about him, I guess. Whether that's the same thing as liking someone per se is debatable.

You can like a character who you wouldn't like if you met them in real life